Electronic Prescription: Standards and Decision Support Issues

Electronic Prescription: Standards and Decision Support Issues

This paper from the CommunityZero - "The Journal on Information Technology in Healthcare" describes an Australian ePrescribing initiative. IT "reports on experiences gained from development and testing of an ePrescription prototype template. In addition, it explores some important issues, such as messaging and medicine terminology
standards, and decision support/interface design that can affect the acceptance and effects of ePrescription".

A study of missing Web-cites in scholarly articles: towards an evaluation framework -- Sellitto 30 (6): 484 -- Journal of Information Science

A study of missing Web-cites in scholarly articles: towards an evaluation framework -- Sellitto 30 (6): 484 -- Journal of Information Science

This study from the Journal of Information Science by Carmine Sellitto points out an ongoing problem with the use of electronic publishing in academic discourse and reminds me of various pieces of work on Link Rot over the last few years.

If we are to base patient care on research, guidelines etc., as well as academic articles, it is vital that a copy is preserved in the format it was originally published in. The ability to change texts as new evidence comes to light is brilliant, and can bring up to date material closer to the point of patient care, but there are also risks in overwriting earlier work.

JobStats - Trends in the demand for the skill: NPfIT

JobStats - Trends in the demand for the skill: NPfIT

I've just come across this site which examines the state of job adverts in the IT sector & this particular page which examines NPfIT as a proportion of the sector.

I wonder if it is really IT staff which are needed or clinical and end user involvement? Perhaps this is now the key job of NPfIT staff as suggested by Lucy Sherriff in her piece for The Register NPfIT must win medical hearts and minds

Guardian Unlimited | Online | Wicked questions about electronic records

Guardian Unlimited | Online | Wicked questions about electronic records

This piece from Michael Cross in the Guardian asks some interesting questions about the role and influence of the Care Records Development Board in relation to NPfIT projects.

Further comment on this is available from EHealth Insider CRDB conference stokes debate on patient awareness and a more official press release Care Record Development Board Confronts Data Sharing from the NHS Health Informatics Community.

HC2005 Bursaries

The British Computer Society is offering bursaries for NHS IT professionals
to attend next year's Healthcare Computing Conference and Exhibition in
Harrogate. Entrants are required to submit an essay up to a maximum of 2000
words by e-mail with the title "Shaping Sands, Shifting Services: Health
Informatics and Change." Winners will have registration, conference fees
and accommodation paid for, and be invited to display a poster at the
event. More details can be downloaded
(http://www.health-informatics.org/hc2005/Bursary%20Scheme%202005.pdf)
(PDF, 95K). Entries close at 9am on 22nd December.

Sir Ian Carruthers new NILSI chief

Sir Ian Carruthers

According to the Health Service Journal "Dorset and Somerset strategic health authority chief executive Sir Ian Carruthers has been appointed to oversee the creation of a new NHS Institute for Learning, Skills and Innovation to replace the NHSU and the Modernisation Agency by July next year."

I wonder how the operation of NILSI will vary from that of the Modernisation Agency and NHSu?

BBC NEWS | Health | NHS university axed in quango cut

BBC NEWS | Health | NHS university axed in quango cut

Announcement that NHSU & modernisation agency are to go as part of the Arms Length Bodies (ALB) review & be replaced by the "NHS Institute for Learning, Skills and Innovation".

For further info see: DoH Press Release

Chair of Health Informatics at CITY

Chair of Health Informatics at CITY

Maybe one day.... :-)

BBC NEWS | Health | Plan for new NHS ratings system

BBC NEWS | Health | Plan for new NHS ratings system

The plans for the new NHS "ratings" system have been announced with more emphasis on the patients experience.

Further discussion of this is available from Peter Davies in the Guardian

We will have to see the effects these changes have in practice.